Author's note: I'm afraid that this may be the last update in a while again guys—for longer than when I was out for orientation. I'm in the middle of moving, and my new home won't have internet until the 14th. I'll try to gank a connection from Starbucks every once in a while to update, but updates will definitely be less frequent.

February 5th, 2004

Willium Q. Shaym Institution

Beyond Birthday licked his lips excitedly, watching Teru Mikami carefully. He'd have to make sure the man understood what he was saying, and that the orderly beside him did not. A small challenge.

"So, Teru. I've found God."

Both Mikami and the orderly jumped. The orderly looked disturbed, disbelieving. Mikami looked triumphant. B smiled.

"God is good indeed," Teru replied vaguely. B nodded.

"I would like to join you, Teru, in resisting the devil," B said slowly, clearly. Mikami blinked, uncomprehending, and B elaborated, "The devil, who would bind us in chains to keep us from God."

Mikami's eyes widened, and he grinned. "Indeed?"

"Yes. I would like us both to evade the devil and go to the lord."

Mikami leaned forward, breath short and eager. "And how would you do that?"

B smiled easily. Mikami and the orderly both shuddered as B leaned in. "Oh, you're a sharp guy. I'm sure you'll work it out."

B bit Mikami's face, hard.

Mikami screamed and tried to jerk back, but B locked his jaw onto his face. He could feel the soft flesh giving way beneath his teeth, taste the warm, coppery blood flowing into his mouth. He only got to enjoy it for a moment before he felt the tell-tale pricking in his arm of a sedative needle.

He licked his teeth in satisfaction as he faded into darkness.

February 5th, 2004

Unknown location

L stared at the huge cake in front of him. Strawberry cake. Strawberry icing. Fresh strawberries on top. It looked so delicious, so good...

"What's happened?"

Watari sighed. Of course L was smart enough to realize when he was being buttered up. To be sure, Watari had been giving him better sweets than usual over the past week—ever since his call to Light Yagami, the man had been incredibly difficult. It had only gotten worse with the release of the boy's pictures in Teen Reader. And now this.

"It seems that there has been a slight, ah, bump. At the Institution."

L dropped the strawberry that he had plucked from the top of the cake. "What kind of bump."

Watari sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "As we did not inform the Institution of exactly why Mikami was dangerous, they determined that he was not a very big danger to himself or the other patients. He was allowed free roam in the cafeteria for meals."

L frowned a little. "This is not the bad news."

"No. As you might recall, Beyond Birthday is also housed at the Institution."

"I am aware," L said slowly, not liking where this was going. "He was in solitary confinement."

"Good behavior," Watari said wearily. "Of a sort. He was also allowed in the cafeteria, though he was heavily bound, and had to be fed by an orderly."

"So the mass murderer Kira and the genius murderer Beyond Birthday, both with a great desire to kill me, were in the same room together. I suppose it is too much to hope that they did not come in contact."

"They have apparently been speaking with each other since Mikami's arrival at the Institution. They found each other almost immediately."

L frowned. "That's not the end, is it."

"Just today, after an apparently civil conversation, Beyond bit Mikami viciously on the face."

L winced a little. Not that Mikami didn't deserve it, but the contact was worrying. And if this was Beyond's work, it was very likely that there was more to it than simple violence. "Keep a close eye on both of them. I want reports of each of their daily actions. If either of them so much as scratches an itch, I need to know about it."

Watari sighed as L picked up the fork and stabbed ferociously at the cake. "Understood."

February 7th, 2004

"Three?"

"Yeah," Mei confirmed happily, "Today, tomorrow, and then again on the 14th. Hurry up and get to make-up, we're trying to get these photos out by tomorrow."

Light sighed and allowed himself to be poked and prodded, then shoved into a brightly lit room with lots of black lace. Misa greeted him, delighted. "Light! Did you see the pictures in the magazine? They were sooo good, so Misa Misa just had to bring you back for more!"

"Yes, I did," Light said neutrally. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Aren't you excited? Light gets to be Misa Misa's boyfriend again!"

Light kept his face blank, but he was quite disgusted. Her subtlety was non-existent; it was clear that she wanted Light to ask her out. Light did not feel like indulging her.

This shoot will put you at $2300. That's more than halfway there. You won't have to put up with this for much longer. No matter how much he told himself this, however, he couldn't help but think that perhaps it would have been better if he had simply asked his parents for the money. Why didn't he listen to Sayu more?

Light groaned. He had forgotten about Sayu. She was going to kill him when she found out that he had done this again without telling her. Oh well. Light would bring her tomorrow.

February 8th, 2004

6:30 am

"Misa..." The man shuddered a little as he saw the brand new pictures. His Misa, his soul mate, with that... that... boy. Again.

No. No, that wouldn't do. He slammed the money on the counter to pay for the magazine and stormed out without waiting for his change. He whipped out his cell phone and hit the three on speed dial.

"This is Aomori."

"I can't come in today," the man rasped, retching into the phone. A young girl on the street gave him a funny look, and he sneered at her.

"You certainly sound horrible. Yes, please take the day off to rest."

"Thanks." He flicked the phone shut and ground his teeth. He would need the day.

To prepare.

2:00pm

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Sayu squealed, squeezing Light's arm in delight. "That's Misa Misa!"

"Yes, I know."

Sayu smacked her brother playfully. "Don't be smart. Introduce me!" She pulled Light along to the blonde girl, who looked up, delighted, when she saw Light. She frowned slightly as she looked at Sayu, pouting.

"Light? Who is this?" Her eyes lingered on Sayu's hand on Light's arm.

"Misa, this is my sister, Sayu. Sayu, this is Misa."

Misa brightened up immediately upon hearing that Sayu was Light's relative. "It's nice to meet you!" Misa bowed, and Sayu did the same. "What's it like living with Light? He's soooo great. Misa bets he's a great brother!"

Sayu smiled mischievously at her brother. "Oh, he is. I guess..."

Light scoffed. "Whatever. I'm going to go find Ms. Mochizuki."

Sayu rolled her eyes and grinned at Misa, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "You like my brother, don't you?"

Misa blushed, embarrassed. "Misa Misa likes Light a lot." Misa's eyes widened. "You're Light's sister! You'd know—does Light like me? Does he talk about me?"

Sayu paused, remembering Light talking about Misa. "I don't like her." "She seems about as smart as the microphone she's talking into."

"Umm..."

Misa's eyes widened. "Oh no! Light doesn't like Misa Misa! Why not? Is it because I'm older? I'm only 19!"

Sayu waved her arms in an attempt to calm the model, who was well on her way to hysteria. "No, no, that's not it! Uh, I just don't think you're his, uh, type."

"Light has a type?" Misa asked eagerly. "What is it? What is his type? Misa Misa can change!"

"No, Misa, don't change!" Sayu said quickly. "If someone doesn't like you for who you are, you shouldn't try to be someone you're not." Besides, she added mentally, Light's type is 'genius'.

Misa glowed again. "Sayu is right! Misa Misa will just have to work harder to make Light like her for who she is! Misa Misa can take a challenge!"

"Sayu?" A woman who was passing by stopped and turned. "Are you Light's sister, then?"

"Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Mei Mochizuki, it's nice to meet you. Where is Light? He needs to get ready, and someone left these for him." She showed them a plate of cookies.

"He went to look for you. And it's no use giving him those, Light doesn't like sweets."

Mei snorted. "Typical. Here, do you like sweets? You can have them, then."

Sayu smiled, taking the plate. "Free cookies are fine with me!"

"Ms. Mochizuki!"

"Ah, there's Light! I've got to go."

Sayu snacked on cookies at the side of the set, watching admiringly as her brother posed with one of her favorite models ever. They really were rather cute together, but Sayu could tell that her brother wasn't happy. Sure, he looked perfect—and really, when did he not?-but Sayu could always tell when her brother was faking.

By the end of the photo shoot, however, Sayu was feeling decidedly off. She was hot and cold at the same time, her mouth was dry, and she was feeling very, very dizzy.

I must be coming down with something, she thought weakly as her brother finally joined her.

"Sayu? Are you okay? You're looking very pale."

"I... think I'm going to be..." Sayu swayed.

"Sayu?" Light's hand found her forehead, then jerked back. "You're burning up-"

Sayu vomited violently, falling forward. Light, surprised and panicked, caught her. He gently held her as she finished throwing up, getting sick all over both of them.

"Sayu? Sayu!"

Sayu sobbed a little. "I... ruined your clothes," she murmured weakly, then went limp.